Galen Rowell

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Galen Rowell, (born Aug. 23, 1940, Berkeley, Calif.—died Aug. 11, 2002, Bishop, Calif.), American landscape photographer who captured breathtaking images of some of the remotest parts of the world. Galen was an avid mountain climber and traveler; his photography was a natural extension of his love for the ever-decreasing wilderness around him. In turn, he used his work to further conservation awareness in an attempt to preserve the delicate regions he photographed. His work appeared in such magazines as National Geographic,Life, and Outdoor Photographer. In addition, he published 18 books of photography, including My Tibet (1990), with text written by the Dalai Lama. Rainbow over Potala Palace, Lhasa, arguably his most famous image, captured the dramatic moment when a rainbow touched and illuminated the Dalai Lama’s palace. In 1984 Rowell was honoured with the Ansel Adams Award, and in 1992 he received a National Science Foundation Award to photograph Antarctica. He and his wife Barbara—an acclaimed writer, photographer, and pilot—died in a plane crash.

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